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Carnegie Hall (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Carnegie Hall' is a 1947 American musical drama film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. It stars Marsha Hunt and William Prince. A Federal Films production. Released thru United Artists.
Ulmer made 'Carnegie Hall' with the help of conductor Fritz Reiner, godfather of the Ulmers' daughter, Ariann.Cantor, Paul A. (2006). "Film Noir and the Frankfurt School: America as Wasteland in Edgar G. Ulmer's 'Detour'," in 'The Philosophy of Film Noir', ed. Mark T. Conard (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky), p. 150. . The New York City concert venue Carnegie Hall serves as the film's setting for the plot and performances presented. A tribute to classical music and Carnegie Hall, the film features appearances by some of the prominent music figures of 20th century performing within the legendary concert hall. Based on a story by silent movie actress Seena Owen, 'Carnegie Hall' follows the life of Irish immigrant Nora Ryan who arrives in America just as the grand concert hall is christened in 1891, and whose life is intertwined with the performers, conductors, aspiring artists and humble employees who call it home. The plot serves as a thread to connect the music performances.
Plot
Nora (Marsha Hunt), a dresser at Carnegie Hall, is cleaning in preparation for the next evening's concert. Walter Damrosch is rehearsing his Symphony Society of New York in Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. A pianist of the orchestra, Tony Salerno (Hans Jeray), is filling in for the rehearsal as their soloist is unavailable. He begins deliberately changing the accents and rhythms to fit his own interpretation and throws off Maestro Damrosch and the orchestra, and after a tense exchange, Tony walks off the stage. On his way out he passes Nora and John (Frank McHugh), and as Nora entreats him to be reasonable, he snaps at her and leaves. John gruffs to her that he is "too big for his britches," but she feels sorry for him. That night he stops by her apartment to talk to her and apologize, but he insists on being right in his musical sensibilities, and questions what Nora would know about music. She defends her love of music, relating how she was a little girl when Maestro Damrosch found her waiting outside the Hall just before one of the premiere performances conducted by Tchaikovsky, himself, was to begin, and through his generosity she got a seat of her very own. That was 20 years ago, she says, placing our story in the 1911-1912 season. She tells Tony to apologize and tell Maestro Damrosch that he was correct, and he asks to see her the next night.
They meet and he takes her to the apartment of the home of Anton Tribek, Tympanist of the orchestra. Nora asks Tony what Anton is congratulating him about, and he confesses that he apologized to Damrosch and was allowed perform as the soloist that evening. As their guests and his wife gathers around their piano to play a movement of the Schumann Piano Quintet, Tony and Nora have a quiet, intimate encounter. During the somber music Anton gossips with his wife that they should be playing the Wedding March of Mendelssohn, instead.
Nora and Tony are married soon after, and a baby arrives. Nora watches over him on a wintry night in their apartment, humming a theme from Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. John comes by to ask for Tony; Nora says that he's still at rehearsal, but John has a curious expression on his face. He leaves before Nora can press him further, and after some time Tony arrives home very drunk. He says he's quit his job, and Nora begs him to reconsider. In a fit of independence, he stumbles out into the hallway, but falls down the stairs and is killed.
Several years later Tony, Jr. is practicing at the piano under his mother's watchful eye. At work John overhears that Nora is up for an office position at a considerable raise. Now she can help young Tony get all the musical training he will need in her quest to make him into a fine musician, as well as afford tickets to all the performances. They even move to an apartment directly across 57th Street to be nearer to all the great artists. The marquee changes posters to show passage of time, but also introduces various musical interludes including coloratura Lily Pons, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, mezzo-soprano Ris Steven's, and pianist Arthur Rubinstein, who gives John some music to take to Tony, saying he should practice "Bach, Bach, and Bach."
Tony, now a young man (played by William Prince), has a habit while practicing of improvising on his classical music, with a bit of jazz or boogie-woogie influence, much to his mother's chagrin. He leaves quickly to go play for a lesson given by tenor Jan Peerce to a new student; we hear her singing the words "Some time We Will Meet Again" set to the very tune Tony's mother hummed as a lullaby. Tony is smitten with the girl, who is introduced to him as Ruth (Martha O'Driscoll). Jan Peerce has Tony accompany him on "O sole mio" to demonstrate how one must first enjoy singing, and to relax. Tony follows Ruth out of the lesson, and as he tries to ask her on a date, suddenly they are interrupted by a costumer working with bass Ezio Pinza, who is outraged by his costume for Don Giovanni. The two follow to try to reason with Pinza, and Tony plays through a couple of arias to calm him down and warm him up for the evening's performance.
They agree to meet at an expensive nightclub, which Tony realizes he cannot afford, and passes when the server offers drinks. The musical set begins, and he spots Ruth on stage with Vaughn Monroe and his orchestra as one of his backup singers. She joins him and assures that he is a guest of the club that evening and to order anything he wants. Monroe comes over to be introduced and after Ruth tells him Tony is a "real pianist", he invites him to sit in on the next set. In spite of his protestations, he agrees, and finds he enjoys playing with the band. Later that evening, Monroe offers him to come on tour with the band, and he quickly accepts, especially when he realizes Ruth will be on the tour, as well. They kiss goodnight in their whirlwind newfound love.
At home, Nora has been fitfully sleeping knowing that Tony isn't home. He arrives, and she awakens to talk to him. He is overjoyed to tell her how he will be able to send her money now and she won't have to save every penny for his studies. But she is disappointed when she finds out it's for a big band rather than for a classical engagement, and she begs him to turn it down because he is an artist, not just another popular musician. He resents the implication that it makes him any less of a musician, and he scrounges up his few possessions and leaves that very night, suggesting that perhaps his father was right, after all.
A sequence with Jascha Heifetz playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto happens, and as the theme is reached that reminds her of Tony's father and their brief life together, Nora leaves the performance in tears. Running into Heifetz after the performance, he thanks her for her support of a young protg through Carnegie Hall's education and performance opportunities that Nora is in charge of. She protests that she only did it for Carnegie Hall and that she will be leaving her post soon, but Heifetz tells her, "Nora, YOU are Carnegie Hall."
Years pass and Tony has become a successful recording artist, and has made good on his promise to make his mother comfortable, even though they remain estranged. Her maid puts on the latest album, telling Nora that she has founded a fan club in honor of Tony, and that they buy a his records. She leaves, but Nora, intrigued, decides to realky listen for herself, and finds that the music is a mixture of his classical influences, especially Chopin, with the jazz that he has since learned. Ruth arrives suddenly, and introduces herself only to say that Tony left her suddenly from their last tour stop in California after an argument. Ruth thought to find him back in New York and then sent a wire to him to apologize when she realized he wasn't there, but Tony had cabled her from Chicago to tell to stay where she is and that all would be explained. Nora sees the chance to fix things with her son and she tells Ruth they will fly to Chicago that night and calls John to arrange tickets and transportation to the airport. John sets his own plan into motion, not buying the airline tickets, which tricks the pair into coming to Carnegie Hall to see him. He leads them to their seats for a performance by Leopold Stokowski and the New York Philharmonic of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, but Nora can only fret about the time and not enjoy the music. Stokowski goes to the edge of the curtain and announces that a new piece by a young American composer will be performed that night, and Tony walks out to their surprise to lead the orchestra from the piano in his 57th Street Rhapsody. The piece receives enthusiastic applause, and Tony smiles broadly from the stage at both his mother and Ruth.
Cast
*Marsha Hunt as Nora Ryan
*William Prince as Tony Salerno Jr.
*Frank McHugh as John Donovan
*Martha O'Driscoll as Ruth Hainess
*Hans Jaray as Tony Salerno Sr.
*Joseph Buloff as Anton Tribik
*Alfonso D'Artega as Tchaikovsky
*Cloris Leachman as Dancing Nightclub Patron Vaughn Monroe sequence (uncredited)
*Barbara Woodell as Nellie Irish Charwoman (uncredited)
Music guests
* Walter Damrosch (conductor)
* Olin Downes (music critic)
* Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
* Harry James (trumpeter)
* Vaughn Monroe (band leader)
* Jan Peerce (vocalist)
* Gregor Piatigorsky (cellist)
* Ezio Pinza (vocalist)
* Lily Pons (vocalist)
* Fritz Reiner (conductor)
* Artur Rodziski (conductor)
* Arthur Rubinstein (pianist)
* Ris Stevens (vocalist)
* Leopold Stokowski (conductor)
* Bruno Walter (conductor)
* New York Philharmonic Quintet (John Corigliano Sr., William Lincer, Nadia Reisenberg, Leonard Rose, Michael Rosenker)
Music
* Richard Wagner Prelude from 'Die Meistersinger von Nrnberg' New York Philharmonic, Bruno Walter, conductor
* Lo Delibes "Bell Song" from opera 'Lakm' sung by Lily Pons
* Camille Saint-Sans "The Swan" from 'The Carnival of the Animals' Gregor Piatigorsky, cello
* Georges Bizet "Seguidilla" from 'Carmen' sung by Ris Stevens (mezzo-soprano)
* Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 5 (excerpts) New York Philharmonic, Artur Rodziski, conductor
* Frdric Chopin 'Polonaise hroque' Arthur Rubinstein, piano
* Manuel de Falla "Ritual Fire Dance" Arthur Rubinstein, piano
* Eduardo di Capua "O sole mio" sung by Jan Peerce (tenor)
* Giuseppe Verdi "Il lacerato spirito" from 'Simon Boccanegra' sung Ezio Pinza (bass)
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Fin ch'han dal vino" from 'Don Giovanni'- sung Ezio Pinza (bass)
* Sam Coslow "Beware, My Heart" sung by Vaughn Monroe
* Frank L. Ryerson/Wilton Moore "The Pleasure's All Mine" sung by Vaughn Monroe
* Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, first movement New York Philharmonic, Fritz Reiner, conductor, Jasha Heifetz, violin
* Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, second movement New York Philharmonic, Leopold Stokowski, conductor
* Hal Borne "Brown Danube" sung by Harry James
* Mischa Portnoff 'The 57th Street Rhapsody' (composed for this film) pianist uncertain; Portnoff's hands are filmed playing the climactic piece.
References
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